World’s Smallest Cyclocopter (Texas A&M University)

The world’s smallest cycloidal-based rotorcraft, or cyclocopter, has been recently designed, built and test flown successfully at Texas A&M University, Advanced Vertical Flight Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Moble Benedict, with graduate students Carl Runco and David Coleman. Weighing only 29 grams, it utilizes the latest advances in microelectronics technology and carbon fiber composite construction, as well as extensive experimental data for design and optimization. The cyclorotor, unlike traditional helicopter rotors, utilizes a horizontal axis of rotation with the blade span parallel to this axis. With the blades cyclically pitched such that each blade has a positive geometric angle of attack at the top and bottom of the circular trajectory, a net thrust is produced. The mechanism that generates this pitching motion allows complete 360 degree thrust vectoring capabilities, one major advantage of the cyclocopter which allows the vehicle to fly in flight regimes unsuitable for traditional helicopte